SPDIF Digital Cable Recommendations

@willgolf I'm currently using a Hi Diamond Reference AES/EBU which I think is excellent value, about $1k

However the "nuts" seems to be the Shunyata Omega which is around $3k.

Hope to try it out soon. Crystal Cable is also up there but you need to demo them at home.

 BTW, the DAC is a Lampizator Pacific and the Media Server is from Lucas Audio LDMS.  I definitely like the sound of SPDIF vs USB.

 I believe that Spdif versus USB comes down to which one is optimized for the specific music server and DAC. If the designer prioritized SPDIF over USB,  then USB will sound inferior. It's possible that the LDMS server is optimized for SPDIF connection,  if so this will be the best sounding option.

Same logic would apply for the DAC as well. Some designers believe that SPDIF is inherently better sounding than USB. I don't think that there's much doubt a higher quality cable will make its presence felt. Another preference point is BNC connectors versus RCA. I'd confer with the designer/builder for guidance. 

Charles 

Beautiful system.

Yes, probably it will make a difference. The biggest difference I have ever heard was in a digital SP/DIF cable… and it was huge… like component level. But it is component dependent. So like in all things… you have to try. Given your components I would recommend Transparent.

You discovered for yourself the difference between USB and SP/DIF. They are fundamentally different connections… it depends on your DAC and streamer. The USB transmits packets and they have to be unpacked and retimed… they added this because of PCs… SP/DIF has been around forever. On my system with a Aurender W20SE streamer ARC DAC is the two are nearly indistinguishable.

@willgolf - For what it may be worth as I have not heard  the Wywiresw Diamond digital cable directly , but at the Cap Audio Fest in one room it was used between the Pacific and a Taiko Extreme server.

Capital Audiofest 2021 Show Report Back from the brink – with passion! CAF 2021 Show Report By Greg Weaver Of Enjoy the Music.com

The Diamond was also used in another room with the Baltic.

I have no affiliation with Wywires. Just wanted to give you something to maybe look into

On another what’s the best coax cable out there, bigkidz offered some advice that I wrote down, and here is what he recommends:

Audio Envy or Kimber D60, at the entry level
and
(used) Marigo Labs, Jorma and Cerious Technologies

All the best,
Nonoise